Yieldable barrier



Oct. 20, 1931. E. D. SAWYER YIELDABLE BARRIER Filed April 24, 1930 frzveizZor Patented Oct. 20, 1931 EMERSON D. S AWYER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS YIELDABLE BARRIER,

Application filed April 24,

My invention relates to certain novel and useful improvements in yieldable barriers, and has as its chief object the provision of a simplified yielding barrier construction, ca-

pable of performing. all the functions vitally necessary in such a device, as covered by my previous Letters Patent .011 yieldable and yielding-barriers, with fewer and simpler mechanical parts than heretofore used. Other objects of the invention are mentioned throughout the specification.

The present invention relates more articularly to the general arrangement 0 parts inclosed and associated with the drum box,

which contains the brake and the payout cables.

The function of a yielding barrier is to provide a means for stopping various types of Vehicles, either in an emergency or intentionally.

The various parts of a barrier device can be so designed, so as to retard and stop any passenger carrying appliance at various speeds, even up to large busses and street cars. The same general mechanical principles apply to either a heavy or light type barrier and these general mechanical principles, as disclosed in the following specification, together with technical investigation of the forces due to impact of various speeding vehicles, can be combined to devise a machine or yielding barrier capable of safely stopping any desired impact load.

The invention consists in the combinations hereinafter described and claimed.

The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and in which Figure 1 is a front elevational View of the drum box, shown hanging in a sectional outline portion of the barrier column, together with a foreshortened view of the balancing 5 counterweight, balancing cable and indicated operating chain.

Figure 2 is a side elevational view of the drum box, hanging in a sectional outline of the barrier column. Various portions of the 59 side of the box have been removed to show 1930. Serial No. 446,885.

more clearly the mechanical parts inclosed within. t t 7 Referring now more particularly to Figure 1, the numeral 1 indicates the drum box hanging within t'he column 2, which column 2 has a counterweight pocket 2a. lVithin this longitudinal pocket 2a the counterweight 3 is hung by means of its sheave 4 and the bight of the balancing cable 5. The balancing cable 5 is dead ended at a becket device 14,-and after'passing around under the sheave 4,1'11113 vertically to the top of the column, then around top sheave 5a and falls vertically within the drum box pocketof the column 2, passes through the top of the drum box and is secured within the drum boxby means hereinafter described. The balancing ratio of the weight 3 and the drum box 1 together with the contents of the drum box, as well as one-half of the Weight of the roadway net, is as two to one on account of the counterweight being hung in the bight of thecable 5, and the drum box 1 with its attached and included parts, being hung on the single reach of the cable 5. r

' The sheave 5a is mounted to rotate freely near the top of the column 2. Also near the top of the column is located a sprocket indi cated by the numeral 10, which may or may not be mounted to rotate about the same axis as the sheave 5a. The sprocket chain 7 is at tached to the, drum box 1 by means of an adjustable link 8,.and the reach of the chain passes up toward thetop of the column, over the sprocket 10 and then down through apart of the column 2, preferably the counterweight compartment 2a, around under a tail sprocket indicated by the numeral 11 and thence upward to a fastening 9 on the bottom'of the drum box 1. I

Thus it is seen that if either one of the indicated sprockets 10 or 11 is caused to move or rotate, the drum box 1 will be made to move up or down within its compartment of the column 2. As thetdrum box 1 moves up in the column, the counterweight 3 will be made to move in the opposite direction, but only half as fast. Thus, although the drum box 1 with its attached payout cables 6 and 661-, must move from a. point in front of the trafiic to a clearance position above the traffic, or else below the traffic, the counterweight 3 is made to move only one-half of that distance,hence in a column of a certain length, the counterweight pocket 21 affords space for an extraordinary movement of the counterweight,.due to other forces than the up and downmovement of the drum box 1. This secondar movement of the counterweight 3 to a osition such as 3a, will be described later in the specification.

The drum box 1 is fitted with rollers 13 mounted on spring carriages 12 and bearing on lguide strips of the column 2. Due to the pn of the roadway net on the cables 6 and 6a, as well as on the face of the box 1 in the direction :0, these rollers 13 facilitate the movement of box 1 by eliminating all nor- Sliding friction. The reason the rollers 13 are mounted on spring carriages 12 is to provide, firetfor any irregularities of the guides of column 2, and secondwhen the rcailes of the net are hit and a heavy forpull inthe direction a: is induced thereby,,.therollers 13 will not be required to withthis heav im act pull in the direction 2 as the drum l the/n advances laterally in the column 2 through the distance m and the side lugs 1a of the drum box also hear on the roller guides, so as to resist the pull in the direction in Y Within the drum box 1 is ivotally mount ed the shaft 16. The ends of the shaft 16 are shouldered down so as to rotate freel in the bearin 17. A. bushing 19 is provide on one side 0? the box 1 to permit of assemblin 16 within the box. Shaft 16 is fitte with a key 18 running its full length, except prhere shouldered down to fit in the bearings One of the chief objects of this invention is to concentrate the major number of the rotative parts in the drum box on this single shaft 16, whereas my older inventions showed a combination four rotative shafts through the drum box. The obvious economy of construction and simplification of operation, becomes apparent with the description which follows in this specification.

The brake drum 20, recoil cable drum 21, the upper payout cable drum 22 and the lowor payout cable drum 23, can be all incorgornted in a single casting, as shown in the ra wings, rincipally in Figure 1. This unifi'cation 0 these parts also permits of simplicity in the assemblyof the key 18 in the shaft 16, and eliminates the heav shearing force on the key 18, as the 0100 wise and counter-clockwise rotative forces between these various drums 21, 22 and 23, and the brake wheel 20 is all absorbed within the casting material itself.

In my present invention, as shown in Figure 1 and Figure 2, I have preferred to indicate an additional wearing surface for the brake wheel 20. This wearing surface 20a can either be shrunk onto or doweled into the drum 20, or secured in any other Way to the brake wheel 20. In addition, this wearing ring 20a can be made of non-corrosive material, so that it always presents the same frictional surface in contact with the brake lining 25. This latter feature is included on account of the fact that the braking device may lie inoperative for a considerable period of time.

The brake band 24 with its brake lining 25 enshrouds the friction wheel brake ring 20a as shown in Fi ure 2, for practically its full diameter, and is kept free of contact by means of one or more plun er springs as shown at 48, when the bra e is released. These plunger spring devices 48, although bearing on the friction surface of ring 20a, offer only a negligible friction when the general apparatus contained within the box is made to recoil.

The anchorage for the brake band 24 is materially the same as shown in my older inventions,except that the shaft 27 which forms the fulcrum for both the lever-plates 30 and the anchora e pin 31, is fixed. In the older inventions tiis fulcrum shaft 27 was one of the main rotative shafts that pierced the drum box. In this invention, shaft 27 is entirely within the drum box 1 and is seated at each end in castings or sockets 28 and keyed in place by pins 29. I have preferred to show that sockets 28 are open on the lower side, so as to permit the removal of the shaft 27 after the pins29 are withdrawn. Practically all of the forces applied to the shaft 27 are in an upward or lateral direction, hence it is permissible to have the confining rims of sockets 28 open at the bottom.

Lever plates 30 are fitted with the pin 32 in the slotted holes 32a. This pin 32 forms the anchorage for the head end of the brake 24. The head end of the brake 24 is formed by an open slotted connection 26, secured to the brake band 24. and having an adjustable screw device 26a. At the outer end of lever plates 30 is the pinned lug 33. This lug 33 is free to rotate, slightly between the plates 30.

The brake tightening devices in my present invention, are similar to those of the old inventions and consist of a connecting eye bolt 34, passing through the lug 33 and a compression spring 35, and terminating in a securing device 36 at its upper end, and at its lower end rotatively connected by pin 37, to the outside lever 38. This out-side lever rotates about the center 39 and is made to move from. the position 38 to the position 380, by means of the cam track 40, attached to the face of the column 2, when the box 1 is low cred.

As the drum box 1 is lowered in the column 2, to its fully down position, the lever 38 rolls in behind the cam track 40 and assumes the position 38a, thus the pin connection 37 is forced down to the position 37a, the pin block 33 is moved to33a, the pin 32 is forced downwardly and slightly laterally in the slots 32a, and this in turn tightens the brake 24:

on to the brake-wheel wearing surface 20a. At the same time the anchor pin 31 is moved to a position 31a. When the anchor pin 31 is moved to the position 31a, and a strain is put on brake band 24, the brake 24 is ca-pa ing on to the brake wheel friction surface,

on account of the excessive radial pressure in this type of device. Thenecessity of this chattering feature has been proven by the observation of motion pictures of working machines of this type of device.

The payout cables 6 and 6a feed through fairleader sockets 41 and 41a. The cable 6, afterleading through the fair leader socket 41 is coiled directly onto its storagedrum 22 and its dead end anchored in the pull-out socket 47 of the drum 22. The cable 6a after passing through the fair leader-41a, passes around the directional sheave 14, which is mounted so as to rotate .in the frame 43 and "3 then up through the funnel casting 42 and onto its storage drum 23. The dead end of this cable 6a is socketed in the seat 49 of drum The cables .6 and 6a, at the point where they emerge from the drum box are about the same distance apart vertically, as in my older inventions, in order to support the top and bot-tom cables of the roadway net tautly;

It will be noted that there are several turns of the cables 6 and 6a on storage drums 22 and 23, as shown in Figure 2. Enough cable is stored on these drums to permit of areasonable run-out distance for the payout cables, yet reserving slightly more than a full turn on the storage drums, after the payout cables 6 and 6a have performed to the full extent of their intended efiiciency in stopping .a vehicle with the drum box 1 in its down or operative positon. The last turn of cable keeps the dead end from pulling loose from its socket, up to this point of the payout.

Should the drum box 1 not be fully down and the brake is not set, then the barrier device is only a visual obstruction and is not intended to stop a vehicle or speeding machine, as to, attempt to do so might result in decapitating the speeding machine or-its occupants, Thus, under this latter condition, the cables 6 and 6a can be pulled free of the drums 22 and 23 without any effective resistance of the braking device.

It is readily seen that the cable 5 is reeled in, as the cables 6 and 6a reel out, on account of being coiled on its drum 21 in the opposite direction from cables 6 and 6a. As the cable 5 coils up onto the drum 21, the counterweight 3 is raised in the column compartment 2a, thus generating potential energy in order to later actuate the recoil function of the barrier.

A third function can be performed by these payout devices with the same mechanical parts as described above. Should the drum box 1 be fully lowered and it is desirous to have a limit to the runout distance of the cables 6 and 6a, a positive stopping device is so placed as to control the extra height to which the counterweight 3 can rise, as shown by the counterweight position 3a in Figure 1. The predetermination of the location of stopper 15 is done as follows: Lower drum box 1 to the fully down position, loosen the connection to lever 38 at 36, unreel cables 6 and 6a by hand, so that only slightly more than the clincher turn is left on drums 22 and 23, now pull the cable 5 upward through the becket fastening 14, until the counterweight 3 assumes the position 3a, secure the end of cable 5 in the becket fastening 14, raise the drum box 1 so that lever 38 emerges from cam track 40, then tighten adjusting nut 36 to where it formerly was and let the counterweight 3 recoil the cables 6 and 6a onto their drums 22 and 23.

With the parts adjusted as described above, and assuming that the drum box is lowered to its fully down position, any heavy strain on the cables 6 and 6a powerful enough to pull the cables to their full effective limit of payout length, must at this point induce a strain in cable 5,, as the counterweight 3 has reached the position 3a and is stopped by the stopper lug 15. Hence, the positive limit of the runout of cables 6 and 6a has been set so as to occur before the clincher turns have left the drums 22 and 23, provided the drum box 1 is in its fully lowere position. I

Now this function still permits of having the cables 6 and 6a pull ofi their drums 22 and 23 when the drum box 1 is not fully lowered, as the position 3a of counterweight 3 cannot be reached, if the drum box is not in its down position. The cables 6 and 6a under this condition unreel past the point where they have a clincher turn on the drums 22 and 23; r

Any tendency of the drum box 1; to rise in the column 2 should counterweight 3 engage stopper 15, as at 3a, is checked by the chain 7 or any auxiliary locking device or dog, as covered by my Patent Number 1,687,147. i

The practical constructlon and testing of barrier devices have shown that the friction between the sides of the box 1 and the inner surfaces of column 2, when the box 1 moves forward the distance m of Figure 2, is suffiqient tocheck this upward lift of the box 1, providedthe type of barrier device is built was to have the major braking efi'ect applied in about the same plane as the impact load, which is a condition prevailing in the type d born'er covered by my older patents.

Should the cables (3 and 60 be pulled off the-drums 22 and 23, the cable and the atinched counterweight 3, tend to rotate the shaft 16, as well as the parts keyed thereto, in a-cloolrwise direction in Figure 2.- If this rotation were not stopped automatically, H05 would then unwind fully from drum 2],iitaend pulling out from socket 46 and tbeoountemight 3 would fall freely to the boom of column compartment 2a. This unwinding of cable 5 is overclmh. eutomatically by means of the helical grooved spool 50, keyed to the shaft 16 by ey-ZIB, together with the dog 52, which enspool 50.

. a thisparticular drum box 1, the helical grooved has a left hand groove, as indicated-in Figure 1. s the cables 6f and Gil out the aging og 52 travels rom fir s t m the plain groove section mindi u just before cables 6 and 6a pull Breed the drums 22 and 23, dog 52 falls into then swl wheel section 510 of the spool 50. 1:9 log-52 reaches this part of the helical groove, it is in the proper position to prevent myohauge in thedirection of rotation of drums 22 and 23 from counterclockwise to clockwise, asviewed in Figure 2. The spring 58 rves to keep the dog 52 engaged in the usual groove of spool 50.

' l he various parts within the drum box 1, as Well as the counterweight 3 therefore, remain in their same relative positions until the cables'fi and 6a are replaced. After the ads of cables 6 and 6a are replaced in socketc 47 and 49, manually, the bight of cable 5 just above the box 1 is pulled down manually, thus releasing the load on dog 52, permitting the placing of dog 52 on the plain groove 51, by means of finger lift 56, ucw bein'g attained through the box open- 37 Then releasing the hold on the bight 0 cable 5, just above box 1, allowsthe counterweight 8 to fallly recoil cables 6 and 6a. Dog52 is then returned to its original position on groove 51.

Tho'dog 52 is pivoted on a collapsible universal joint 53 and made adjustable by mans-of screw 54. By having the universal joint- 58 de'mountable from the pad 55. by warrant its sliding engagement with pad flnd'itsdisoonnection joint 59 and the removable adjusting screw 54, the whole dogging apparatus is made readily removable from box}, through opening 57.

The sheave housing 43 is fitted in the bottom of box-1 in such a manner as to require the use of only a pair of bolts 60 to hold some in'place. Lugs 45 are welded to the inside surfaces of box 1 to resist the forward and upward pull of cable 6a on sheave 44, which in turn is mounted to revolve in housing 43.

The free flange of drum 22 is provided with notches 61, in order to afford means for rotating the drums manually. The spring 62 is placed on lever 38, in order to assure the return of this lever 38 to its free position after box 1 is lifted in column 2 above the cam track 40, thus aiding the plunger springs 48 in freeing the brakeband 24, so as to permit of positive automatic recoil.

Having personally designed, constructed and tested various barrier devices, as well as having thoroughly studied motion pictures of the same under test, I have made my pres ent improvements in yieldable barriers, in order to make these barrier devices more simple, more positive in their functioning, more economical and more applicable as a public safety device. v

While I have illustrated and described the preferred form of construction for carrying my invention into effect, this iscapable of variation and modification without departing from the spirit of the invention. I, therefore,"do not wish to be limited to the precise details of construction set forth, but desire to avail myself of such variations and modifications as come within the scope of the ap ended claims.

aving described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

' 1. A device consisting of a flexible net stretched across a roadway for the purpose of stopping moving vehicles traveling along said roadway, means for movin said net into and out of an operative position, flexible means attached to said net, the opposite end of said flexible means coiled on a spool, and the outermost end of said opposite end secured to said spool, said spool mounted so as to revolve on a horizontal axis, a carriage for the purpose of supporting said spool, said carriage mounted so as to move along with said net into and out of an operative position, and releasable revolvable braking means associated with said spool, for the purpose .of resisting the payout of said flexible means.

2. A device consisting of a flexible net stretched across a roadway for the purpose of stopping moving vehicles traveling along said roadway, means for moving said net into and out of an operative position, flexible means attached to said net, the opposite end of said flexible means coiled on a spool, and the outermost end of said opposite end secured to said spool, said spool mounted so as to revolve on a horizontal axis, a carriage for the purpose of supporting said spool, said carriage mounted so as to move along with said net into and out of an operative position, and releasable revolvable braking means associated with said spool, for the purpose of resisting the payout or said flexiblemeans; together with means for automatically recoiling said flexible means after said flexible means have been paid out and said carriage is moved to above an operative position.

3. A device consisting of a flexible net stretched across a roadway for the purpose of stopping moving vehicles traveling along said roadway, means for moving said net into and out of an operative position, flexible means attached to said net, the opposite end of said flexible means coiled on a spool, and the outermost end of said opposite end secured to said spool, said spool mounted so as to revolve on a horizontal axis, a carriage for the purpose of supporting said spool, said carriage mounted so as to move along with said net into and out of an operative position, and releasable revolvable braking means associated with said spool, for the purpose of resisting the payout of said flexible means; together with means for engaging the said releasable braking means with said spool when the net is in its down position only, for the purpose of resisting the payout of said payout means.

4. A device consisting of a flexible net stretched across a roadway for the purpose of stopping moving vehicles traveling along said roadway, means for moving said net into and out of an operative position, flex ible means attached to said net, the opposite end of said flexible means coiled on a spool, and the outermost end of said opposite end secured to said spool, said spool mounted so as to revolve on a horizontal axis, a carriage for the purpose of supporting said spool, said carriage mounted so as to move along with said net into and out of an operative position, and releasable revolvable braking means associated with said spool, for the purpose of resisting the payout of said flexible means; means for automatically recoiling said flexible means after said flexible means have been paid out and said carriage is moved to above an operative position; together with means for engaging the said releasable braking means with said spool when the net is in its down position only for the purpose of resisting the payout of said payout means.

5. A device consisting of a flexible net stretched across aroadway for the purpose of stopping moving vehicles traveling along said roadway, means for moving said net into and out of an operative position, flexible means attached to said net, the opposite end of said flexible means coiled on a spool, and the outermost end of said opposite end secured to said spool, said spool mounted so as to revolve on a horizontal axis, a carriage for the purpose of supporting said spool, said carriage mounted so as to move along with said net into and out of an operative position, and releasable revolvable braking means associated with said spool, for the purpose of resisting the payout of said flexible means; means for automatically recoiling said flexible means after said flexible means have been paid out and said carriage is moved to above an operative position; means for engaging the said releasable braking means with said spool when the net is in its down position only for the purpose of resisting the payout of said payout means; together with means for permitting the free payout of said flexible means when the net is in any position other than its operative position.

6. A carriage for a yielding barrier of the type described having a revolvable shaft mounted therein, a storage drum mounted on said shaft, a flexible payout member coiled on said storage drum, a revolvable brake wheel mounted on said shaft for resisting the pull on said payout member, a recoiling member, a drum for said recoiling member mounted upon said shaft, and means for checking the operation of said recoiling member when said payout member has been pulled past a predetermined point on said storage drum.

7. A carriage for a yielding barrier of the type described having a revolvable shaft mounted therein, a storage drum mounted on said shaft, a flexible payout member coiled on said storage drum, a revolvable brake wheel mounted on said shaft for resisting the pull on said payout member, a recoiling memher, a drum for said recoiling member mounted upon said shaft, means for checking the operation of said recoiling member when said payout member has been pulled past a prede termined point on said storage drum, and means for changing the direction of lead of the flexible payout member within said carriage. 8. A device adapted to stop moving vehicles traveling along a roadway, consisting of a pair of upright members located one on each side of said roadway, a flexible barrier net stretched between said uprights, means formoving said barrier net into and out of operative position across said roadway, a drum rotatably mounted in each of said uprights, payout cables secured to said barrier and said drum, braking means mounted in association with each of said drums, and means for rendering said braking means inoperative except when said barrier is in operative position.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

EMERSON D. SAWYER. 

